Version 5.5 of Genshin Impact introduced Varesa, an Electro carry whose kit, mechanics, and flexibility have sparked significant discussion among theorycrafters. Now that players have had time to test her thoroughly, it’s safe to say one thing:

Varesa is better—and more fun—than we thought.

In this comprehensive post-release breakdown, Zajef77 revisits his original expectations, dives into rotation variations, evaluates her synergy with top supports, and shares thoughts on her meta viability. Here’s everything we learned.

Varesa’s Rotation & Combos: More Flexible Than Expected

At first glance, Varesa’s kit seems straightforward: use skill > charge attack > plunge, with Night Soul managing when she can use her enhanced skill and mini-burst (her unique Q2 mechanic). But in practice, her rotation options are far more diverse.

Her Basic Loop:

  • Skill > Charge Attack > Plunge x2
  • Then Q2 (mini-burst) when available
  • Rinse and repeat

But there’s more: by opening her setup with a skill and coming back to her after setting up buffs, you can get five skills per rotation instead of four. Additionally, you can alternate between rotations that start with Night Soul and those that don’t—giving you multiple ways to manage cooldowns, field time, and buff durations depending on your team composition.

Key Combo Styles:

  • 5 Skills + 2 Charge Attacks = ~15s field time
  • 4 Skills + 2 Charges = ~12s
  • 5 Skills + 0 Charges = ~10s
  • Default Loop (4 Skills + no Charges) = ~8s

This rotational flexibility makes her work across multiple team setups, which we’ll explore later.

Shenhe, Chevreuse, Xiangling, and More: Varesa’s Best Supports

Varesa synergizes best with Chevreuse and Furina, but also performs well with other pyro supports like Xiangling, Mavuika, and even Dehya.

Top Meta Teams:

  • Chevreuse + Yansan + Xiangling: Strong AoE with consistent 20s rotations. Shockingly close in performance to the Mavuika-based teams.
  • Chevreuse + Yansan + Mavuika: Strongest team in single-target. Rotations flow well with alternating combo styles.
  • Chevreuse + Furina + Jean / Yansan: Offers healing and hydro resonance with excellent buff uptime.
  • Chevreuse + Bennett + Kazuha: Works as a burst setup team, though energy management becomes trickier without Electro resonance.

Notable Mentions:

  • Bennett: Still a viable support, especially with Varesa’s flexibility to swap out mid-rotation.
  • Yansan: Essential in many builds for Electro resonance and attack buffs. Especially powerful at C6.
  • Dehya: Provides defensive utility and comfort in overworld and Abyss.
  • Shenhe: Surprisingly good even outside of standard Cryo synergy due to Veresa’s high motion values.

Artifact Sets & Weapons: Obsidian Codex or Signature?

Zajef confirms that Obsidian Codex 4-piece (CEX) remains Varesa’s most efficient artifact set. Its crit rate effect triggers off Night Soul consumption, which is easily accessed in most of her combos.

Key Takeaways:

  • Obsidian Codex is almost as good as her signature set, making it more resin-efficient.
  • Crit Rate Weapons become harder to use with CEX due to overcapping—Widsith is a strong option for balanced builds.
  • Long Night 4-piece can be used but is less recommended unless aiming for her signature weapon.

Varesa’s Bugs and Issues

While Varesa is strong, she currently suffers from some notable bugs:

Ascension Passive Bug:

  • Her Ascension 1 passive grants bonus plunge damage after a skill.
  • If you mash her skill too quickly after a plunge, ping delays the damage calculation, canceling the buff.
  • This means high-ping players may never benefit from one of her core damage mechanics.

Tighnari-Like Bug with Thoma:

  • Thoma’s coordinated attacks don’t trigger with Varesa’s normal attacks unless they register a hit first.
  • Leads to inconsistent shielding if you try to pair Thoma with her.

Zajef strongly advises against using Varesa with Thoma for now.

Varesa vs. Clorinde: Who’s Better?

Zajef initially believed Clorinde had more versatility and better overall team options. Post-release, however, he admits that Varesa has impressed him in terms of raw power and flexible rotations.

  • Varesa’s Best Teams are slightly better than Clorinde’s best.
  • Clorinde has more viable archetypes, but Varesa’s small pool of teams includes more unit flexibility than expected.
  • For players without Mavika or Furina, Varesa provides a strong Electro alternative.

Constellations: C2 is a Game-Changer

Varesa’s C1 and C2 are her most impactful constellations.

  • C1 boosts her Ascension 1 damage, but due to the passive bug, its reliability is limited.
  • C2 is massive: enables spammable mini-bursts and gives 11.5 Energy on hit, making her energy self-sufficient.

At C2, you can run consistent rotations without worrying about burst downtime, especially when paired with Shenhe or Yansan.

Final Thoughts: Is Varesa Worth It?

Varesa isn’t just fun and flexible, she’s a powerful Electro carry that performs even in suboptimal setups.

  • Her gameplay is engaging, especially when mastering her rotations.
  • C2 Varesa is a huge leap in performance.
  • She offers an alternative to Clorinde with better raw numbers in her best teams.
  • Her bugs need fixing, but she’s still very strong despite them.

If you enjoy rotational complexity and like fine-tuning your team builds, Varesa is a standout unit. She may not dethrone the top two carries (Neuvillette and Mavika), but she comfortably earns a spot in the upper tier of meta DPS options.

For more detailed character analysis, stay tuned at ExploreGenshin.gg and subscribe to Zajef77 on YouTube for expert-level theorycrafting.

Frequently Asked Questions about Varesa